Teel Time: How Duke's Krzyzewski may have violated NCAA recruiting rule with offer to Poythress

David Teel

Most reasonable folks should agree that Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski would not deliberately break NCAA rules. More than three decades of history prove that’s not in his DNA.

But Krzyzewski may, big emphasis on MAY, have inadvertently and carelessly violated an NCAA recruiting bylaw last week. If the NCAA discovers he did, the infraction is most likely to be considered, in NCAA parlance, “secondary” instead of “major.”

That said, sanctions imposed for recruiting violations that occur during July are “enhanced,” which could limit Duke’s subsequent contacts with, and evaluations of, prospects.

Here’s how this story unfolded:

CBSSports.com’s Jeff Borzello blogged early Thursday afternoon that Krzyzewski had offered a scholarship to Alex Poythress, a 6-foot-8 forward from Clarksville, Tenn. Borzello’s source was Poythress, who told Borzello that the offer came via phone Tuesday night after Poythress and the Georgia Stars were eliminated from the AAU Super Showcase in Orlando.

That prompted Yahoo! Sports blogger Cameron Smith on Friday morning to raise a very legitimate question: Did Krzyzewski’s offer to Poythress violate the NCAA’s prohibition on Division I college coaches contacting prospects, their families and summer coaches during July events?

Yes, the Stars were done in the Super Showcase, eliminated in the quarterfinals just prior to Krzyzewski’s call to their coach, who then arranged for Poythress to call Krzyzewski. But the Stars were remaining in Orlando for the AAU national tournament, which started the following day.

“In all rules matters brought to our attention, the Duke compliance department exercises due diligence in determining the relevant facts of a given situation. Proper adherence to NCAA bylaws has always been, and will continue to be, a cornerstone of Duke athletics.”

The timing of Krzyzewski’s offer to Poythress indicates that he believed the Georgia Stars’ elimination from the Showcase was a green light for contact. But was it?

“Contact is prohibited from the time the prospective student-athlete reports for competition until he/she has been released from competition by the appropriate authority.

“For prospects traveling with teams, prohibition starts from the point the team meets for initial travel and until completion of the team’s final competition of the road trip and the team returns home or until the prospect is released to travel separately from his team.”

That “final competition of the road trip” clause is what could trip Krzyzewski, who in 36 seasons as a head coach, five at Army and the last 31 at Duke, has never been cited for NCAA infractions.

If the NCAA finds Krzyzewski in violation, there’s this, again courtesy of the NABC’s primer for its members:

“Penalties imposed for recruiting violations committed by Division I coaches during the July evaluation/dead periods will result in enhanced penalties (a four-for one basis) regardless of intent. For example, one impermissible contact by a coach in July could result in a loss of two contacts during the upcoming academic year and two days off the road in July the following year for all members of the coaching staff.”

Potentially significant, but hardly calamitous for a program and coach as renowned as Duke and Krzyzewski.

Poythress figures to be unaffected. He’s a target of past national champions such as Ohio State, Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisville, Florida and Marquette, as well as Duke. But he’s clearly unhappy with the attention this issue has received.

“I hate the media,” he tweeted the other night.

The lessons here are not new.

NCAA rules can be confusing, and no one is immune from potential missteps. Not even a Hall of Fame coach with four national championships, 11 Final Fours and a sterling reputation.